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Friday, July 8, 2011

A Helpful Way To Carry Duct Tape On The Trail

We all know just how helpful and versatile Duct Tape is and how it can be a life saver out on the trail. It can be used for everything from shelter repair, splint making, shoe/boot repair, band aids, rope making, clothing repair, temporary cup making, trap making, trail marking, and much much more. However if you’re packing light and limited on space then sometimes it’s hard to justify carrying an entire roll of Duct Tape with you. Fortunately there’s a trick to not only carrying a large amount of Duct Tape but also insulating your thermos, coffee mug, or canteen and it couldn’t be easier to do. First clean the surface of which ever item you wish to wrap with soap and water or window cleaner to ensure that any dust, grease, dirt, and grime is removed so that it will provide a good adhesive surface for the Duct Tape to stick to. For this example we’ll say that we are wrapping a canteen. Next, wrap the duct tape around the canteen in a circular motion slowly working your way from top to bottom. The amount of Duct Tape to be used is strictly up to you but I would recommend somewhere between 5 to 10 feet. That should be plenty to use while you’re on the go out in the wilderness. By doing this, you not only eliminate the roll itself but you actually provide another layer of insulation to your canteen to help keep you liquids cooler or warmer longer. You can also wrap several other items as well to increase your overall capacity and split up the Duct Tape on multiple items in case you become separated from the majority of your gear or happen to lose it for some reason. Here are just a couple ideas of other items that can be wrapped: handles of knives, handles of a magnifying glass, water filters, bowls, foldable shovel handles, lighters/mini torches, flashlights, axe handles, sunscreen bottles, insect repellent bottles, etc…